Our father's
by Kaitos-V-ibrator
Summary: Zexal spoilers from Michael's return in Zexal II : When the two boys come home from their duel, they spend some time talking about their fathers and the work they did together. Sleeping over late into the night, Yuma is brightened up by his friend's return, but still finds himself aching in his loss.


"Your dad really remmebers the expedition they all went on?"

"Yeah! His memories have been gradually coming back to him, and he kept going on and on about how much our dad's had in common. Oh-and how much they teased Kaito's dad."

Yuma grinned over at his old friend as they made their way back from Heartland tower towards his house. He insisted that Michael spend the night with him, as it was nearly two am anyways.

"Man, I can't wait to track down Kaito! He might enjoy some of these stories—umm—?" Yuma had to pause as Michael grinned down sheepishly at his phone.

"Sorry, sorry—dammit."

"Hmm? You get a girlfriend while you were away, III?" He tried to tease, feeling his own smile deepen as the prior flushed and shook his head defiantely.

"No way! Not that there is anything wrong with girls—no! No, just…well…Thomas, you know IV?

He makes me check up with him every hour while I'm away…I uh…f-forgot to call…"

"Oh cool! Sis tried to make me do that…and I…" Shuttering and nodding as he understood how wrathful older siblings could be, Yuma trailed off in understanding. "Did he say you can stay?"

"Yup! It's been a while since I've done anything but hang around them, and Chris said it was okay."

As the two headed up to the dimly lit house, Yuma took Michael's wrist and guided him silently through the door and up the stairs. Best not to wake anyone up…especially Akari.

"Wow…your room always gets me…" Michael oggled, feeling any hint of sleepiness from the duel whisked away from him at the sight of the confounding artifacts that encased the room.

"Yeah I…I kinda wish I knew what a lot of this stuff was. I know dad put it up here cause' mom didn't like it cluttering all over the house…"

"At least they can't get badly damaged, your mother was doing him a favor." Michael nodded, too distracted now to even register Yuma's grace lifting from the casual comment.

He said it with such certainty…not bothering to sugar coat or apologize for talking about his parents. He was just so sure in it, in everything he said. It was kind of…fun.

"Yeah, yeah I guess so. So what does that mask thing guy do anyways?" Having always wanted to learn about the various trinkets that his parent's had spent the greater part of their adult lives hunting down, Yuma felt himself well up with curiousity as Michael made no pause in firing off an explanation.

All those dusty textbooks and boring documentaries were never interesting enough to Yuma to get him to understand what the great interest was.

But the way Michael's eyes lit up as he explained the various locations, curses, and meanings behind the objects had the two brimming over with excitment all night long.

Michael wasn't used to having anyone besides his father interested in these kinds of things.

Though Chris would smile polietly and listen, he knew the eldest was more intested in 'space' to say the least.

Though it did warm him over when he would spend time with his father and chat these things over. It helped brim up old memories for the elder, and gave Michael hope that yes, they could be close again. Closer than ever!

As the hours wore on, a few yawns began escaping the two tuckered out duelists.

"Come on, we can just sleep on these blankets or something…" Yuma drowsily gestured, already curling up in his day clothes next to where Michael was sitting.

"Sounds good." The other nodded, placing his head down on the pillow Yuma had tossed down next to him.

"Oh…just a sec," Yuma mumbled, crawling over towards the television and turning it on at a hushed volume.

"…you wanna watch or something?" Michael implored, noticing that Yuma just smiled slightly over at the screen; not so much looking at the image, but the very glow it emitted.

"It helps me sleep." He shrugged, curling up next to Michael to snuggle into his sheets.

Michael blinked slowly, wondering if the glow reminded him of sleeping next to Astral…

But what he didn't know was how Astral would spend the tireless nights watching various cartoons and nature shows on the dimly lit screen. Yuma hadn't noticed how strangely quiet it felt sleeping without the faint buzzing in his ears.


End file.
